No direct Red Dwarf connection here, but as the co-writer of Alien and, perhaps more pertinently, Dark Star, it’s safe to say that Dan O’Bannon – who has passed away at the age of 63 – should be counted as one of the most influential figures in late ’70s/early ’80s sci-fi, and consequently can be said to be one of those people without whom the show might not actually even exist. RIP.

My favourite story about Dan was that at the premiere of ‘Alien’, whilst everyone else was excited and scared in the movie theatre, he was the only one crying because he was so proud that his story had finally made it up onto the big screen..! :)